


speak now or forever hold your peace

by iceprinceofbelair



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Mischief, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Vows, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 09:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18444155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceprinceofbelair/pseuds/iceprinceofbelair
Summary: James and Lily get married and some mischief ensues.





	speak now or forever hold your peace

War was a funny old business, thought Sirius Black as he watched Lily Evans walk down the aisle in a beautiful, flowing white dress, red hair shining in the sunlight.

Hogwarts had been something of a bubble, a haven away from the true horrors of the war. It had paled in comparison to more trivial matters like winning the house cup and kissing girls. Somehow, the conflict had always seemed so far away which was perhaps a testament to how safe the castle truly was. As they’d gotten older, the stresses of the war had become clearer and James had once joked that you could tell how bad it was by the lines on McGonagall’s face. 

But now, Minerva McGonagall’s face shone with joy as she watched Lily reach the flowered arch where James was waiting. 

As Lily handed her bouquet to Alice Longbottom, she caught Sirius’s eye and her smile could have rivalled the sun. Sirius grinned back.

“Last chance to change your mind, Evans,” he muttered. “Or you’ll be shackled to this arrogant toerag for the rest of your life.”

James shoved him, shooting him a look of wounded betrayal but Lily simply laughed.

“The giant squid was taken so I guess he’ll have to do,” she said playfully, pushing herself onto her tiptoes to give James a quick peck on the cheek. 

James, for his part, looked just as flustered as he did every time she kissed him. He gave Sirius a look which he could only interpret as  _ holy shit she’s actually marrying me  _ and Sirius rolled his eyes. Dork.

Sirius remembered when Lily had suggested having a simple, legal wedding with no formalities. There was a war on after all, she’d said. A wedding isn’t really practical. But James had argued with surprising vehemence that opting out of a celebration like this would be giving in, would be surrendering to what Voldemort wanted - a world too afraid to love.

As the priest began speaking, Sirius tore his eyes from the couple to look over the crowd and thought James had definitely been on to something. He saw happiness on the faces of people who had had very little to smile about recently. Marlene McKinnon had lost her mother to the war just six months ago but now she sat next to her husband, looking more peaceful than Sirius had seen her since then. Even Minerva McGonagall, whose brother’s death was still fresh, watched the proceedings with a soft, fond smile on her perpetually stern face. 

James and Lily had been careful to arrange their wedding in the middle of the moon cycle to give Remus time to heal and there was a smile stretched across his scarred face where he sat next to Peter who looked ready to cry with delight. Lily’s mother had her head resting on her husband’s shoulder, their fingers interlaced on her lap. Fleamont Potter couldn’t have looked prouder if he’d tried and-

Sirius startled when he caught Euphemia looking not at her son who was about to be married but directly at Sirius himself. Unwittingly, Sirius’s eyes began to prick with the threat of tears. He’d been living with the Potters for over a year now and Euphemia had reminded him at least once a week that she loved him like her own son. But somehow, seeing her smiling at him with all the warmth in the world while her real, true, biological son was about to be married brought it home harder than ever before. She nodded at him before turning her gaze back to the happy couple as Lily began her vows. 

“If you’d asked me seven years ago what I thought of James Potter, I’d have told you I’d rather marry a blast-ended skrewt,” she said and a ripple of soft laughter swept over the crowd. “But now, standing here with you in front of all our friends, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. As immature and ridiculous as you are, I really do love you. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

From where he stood, Sirius couldn’t see James’s face but he saw the love and joy shining bright in Lily’s green eyes and thought his best friend was probably sporting a very similar expression. After a moment of awws and clucking from the gathered crowd, James cleared his throat. Sirius saw his thumbs ghosting across Lily’s knuckles where his hands held hers and had to bite back a very unmanly squeak. 

“Here we are at last, Evans, though I suppose I won’t be able to call you that much longer,” James said cheekily and Lily raised a fond eyebrow at him. “After all those years of pestering, asking for dates at all times of the day, leaving notes in textbooks, and endless flirting...I finally agreed to go out with you.”

Sirius barked out a laugh and the rest of the crowd were chuckling too. Lily was shaking her head but she couldn’t stop grinning long enough to even pretend to be annoyed.

“Aside from the fact that I love you and would die for you if you asked me to, I hope this wedding can also serve as a big  _ fuck you  _ to that blood-purity crazed lunatic.”

“James!” Euphemia gasped admonishingly.

“To love is such a pure, beautiful thing and I love you, Lily Evans, with all my heart. And I want everyone to know it.”

There was a moment of warm silence which filled Sirius’s chest with light and he found himself laughing quietly with utter delight.

The priest spoke again.

“If anyone knows of a reason why this union may not take place, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Five rows back, Michael Creevey stood up.

“I object,” he said and shocked whispers swept through the crowd. “This wedding cannot go on because...I’m in love with Lily Evans.”

There was silence. Then, William Boot stood and declared, “No,  _ I’m  _ in love with Lily Evans!”

Jackson Smith leapt to his feet. “I’m in love with Lily Evans!”

Susan Bones. “I object because I’m in love with James Potter.”

“So am I!” Yelled Nancy Midgen. 

Declarations of undying love for the couple were coming from all directions and James, who had frozed at Frank’s initial declaration, looked to Sirius with a look of adorable confusion. Sirius grinned and stepped forward, raising his voice to be heard over the scrape of chairs and intermittent yells. 

“I am also in love with James Potter,” he declared.

“Me too!” Peter yelled, grinning.

Remus, with a shit-eating grin plastered across his face, jumped up and said, “I’m in love with both James Potter  _ and  _ Lily Evans.”

Sirius watched James’s face change from anxious confusion to grudging acceptance. By now, those standing were returning to their seats and the crowd were sharing laughs at James’s expense. Lily was doing an admirable job of schooling her face into an expression of bewildered innocence but James, to his credit, did not instantly jump to the obvious conclusion and name Sirius as the culprit. 

“Have I finally been the victim of a Lily Evans prank?” James asked with an expression of mock surprise. “I didn’t think you had it in you, Evans.”

Lily grinned, laughter bubbling out of her like a fresh bottle of champagne. 

“I’m a woman of many mysteries,” she replied and James swooped in to kiss her to the sound of a wolf whistle from - appropriately - Remus. Lily pushed him away gently, still laughing. “We’re not married yet, Potter.”

The priest, who had regained himself from the initial shock - they probably should have let him in on it, in hindsight - spoke again.

“Do you, James Fleamont Potter, take this woman to be your wife?”

James’s voice cracked slightly as he said, “I do,” and Lily slipped the ring onto his finger.

Peter was openly crying now and Remus had one hand on his back but his attention was fully on James and Lily. 

“And do you, Lily Jane Potter, take this man to be your husband?”

Lily tilted her head to the side and looked momentarily thoughtful. She smiled. “Well, go on then.”

Sirius’s heart filled with light as the couple came together in a loving kiss and he thought that James had definitely been right all those months ago. With the war raging throughout the whole wizarding world, to love in the face of evil was the truest show of bravery.


End file.
